EDSA bus lane removal proposed, citing ‘repetitive’ function with MRT
Credit to Author: Jean Mangaluz| Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:08:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — The government is considering removing the EDSA bus lane, citing its overlapping function with the MRT system.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Romando Artes proposed this during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., floating the possibility of removing the bus lane once the MRT improves its carrying capacity.
“Ang suggestion po kahapon ay kung maa-accommodate din ng MRT iyong mga pasahero po ng bus carousel since repetitive siya eh, same line. In fact, mas inconvenient pa nga ang bus dahil hindi lahat po ng station ng MRT ay may istasyon ng bus. So kung magagawa po iyan, mapi-free up po iyong isang lane,” Artes said.
("The suggestion from yesterday is if the MRT can accommodate the passengers of the bus carousel since it is repetitive, the same line. In fact, the bus is more inconvenient because the bus stations do not pass through all the stations of the MRT. So if that could be done, it would free up one lane.")
Artes argued that having buses and trains on what he deemds as identical routes might not be necessary.
“We don’t see the need that there should be a bus with the exact same route,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Fact-check: However, the EDSA bus lane and MRT do not entirely share identical routes.
For instance, the EDSA bus lane extends to Monumento in Caloocan City, while the northernmost MRT station is North Avenue in Quezon City.
Car-centric? Artes denied allegations of being "car-centric" but emphasized that freeing up a lane would ease traffic congestion.
“Hindi naman po dahil car centric tayo pero definitely makakapagpaluwag po iyan,” Artes said.
(It is not that we are being car centric but definitely it will open up the road.)
Next step. There was no date set for the proposal, as the plan is contingent on the MRT increasing its capacity, as well as the train systems improving its interconnectivity.
Artes assured that public sentiment would be considered, adding that commuters would not face inconvenience if MRT operations were enhanced.
Another suggestion he floated was repurposing the bus lane for high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) carrying three or more passengers. Artes mentioned that AI cameras installed on EDSA could monitor compliance, and cars might need to roll down their windows for easier implementation.
Artes stressed that this was only a suggestion and no definite timeline has been set.